Big B @ 70: Amitabh's Best Cameos

He is perhaps the only actor in the country, and dare I say in the world, who can make even the most insignificant scene special, just with his presence. So on his 70th birthday here's looking at Big B's most special guest appearances.

1. BOL BACHCHAN

Quite simply the best five-minutes of this Rohit Shetty comedy! At 69, Bachchan brings in more energy to the premise than Devgn and AB Jr combined. And of course how can one forget the gibberish-rap that sounds as fresh as it did back then in Amar Akbar Anthony.

2. DOST

This Dharmedra-Shatrughan Sinha potboiler, features a pre-Zanjeer Amitabh Bachchan cast as the hero’s out-of-work friend. Bachchan gets just one or two lines but he makes the most of this opportunity. And while in those days, characters were expected to make peace with their destiny, Bachchan argues that he will take law in his own hands, if he doesn't get what he wants. Perhaps this is where seeds of the angry young man were first sown.

3. JALWA

Satish Kaushik plays a goofy cop who is busy bluffing about his friendship with superstar Amitabh Bachchan, without realizing that the real one is standing just behind him. Bachchan plays along with Kaushik’s lies, in his authentic Allahabadi accent. There is very little dialog, but Big B lets his facial expressions do all the talking in this hillarious cameo.

4. GOLMAAL

It takes a master filmmaker like Hrishikesh Mukherjee to make such good use of Bachchan’s real life superstar status in reel life. During a crucial plot-point when the protagonist has to pick clothes for his disguise, he meets Bachchan on a film-set. It's shown as a casual interaction between a star and his star-struck fan, but so much meat is packed into their conversation. From in-jokes about the industry, to some publicity for his forthcoming film, it's all there in this scene, but done with remarkable subtlety. Big B closes the scene on a delightfully natural note, by signing autographs for his starry-eyed fans.

5. ENGLISH VINGLISH

A true superstar is one who can take over a scene in just a few seconds, and make it look totally effortless. Bachchan’s scene in English Vinglish, in which he plays a seasoned traveler who helps a nervous co-passenger (Sridevi) get over her anxiety, is perhaps one of the most well-written cameos of all-time. At his spontaneous best, Bachchan not only raises the laughs, but also makes some valid points about being comfortable with one’s roots.